The government has quietly diverted funds from the soft drinks levy which was targeted to tackle childhood obesity and improve children’s health to the general tax pot.
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A new scheme to help secondary schoolchildren on Jersey, who are not usually entitled to free dentistry, but whose dental care has been disrupted by Covid-19 has been introduced by their government. This contrasts with the situation in England where the number of children able to access NHS dentistry has declined dramatically.
With the government’s recent bombshell that from 1 January 2022 NHS practices will be obliged to meet 85% of their pre-COVID activity levels & 90% for orthodontic contracts or face financial penalties, nearly two-thirds of practices currently estimate they are incapable of achieving these levels.
This in the face of the Omicron variant with practices already struggling with patient cancellations and staff sickness, these new, centrally imposed targets will be very difficult to meet.
In the New Year Honours List, Sandra White, until recently Director Dental Public Health England is appointed OBE and Professor Iain Chapple lately Head of Dental School, Birmingham is made MBE. GDPUK congratulates them both on their appointments.
According to new research from the Resolution Foundation, 2022 is set to the ‘year of the squeeze’, with real wages set to be no higher next Christmas than today, and families face a typical income hit of around £1,200 a year from April as a result of tax rises and soaring energy bills. The question many practices are asking is how this will affect demand for dentistry, especially high-cost items provided in private practice.
Read more: 2022 set to be the ‘year of the squeeze’. How will dentistry be affected?
The looming prospect of dentist shortages in the UK has been highlighted after a General Dental Council executive described the Overseas Registration Examination (ORE) as ‘flawed.’
There has been widespread condemnation of the new NHS targets imposed on general dental practices by the Government, announced yesterday.
Read more: “If Pigs Learn To Fly” – Social Media’s Reaction To The New NHS Targets
“This policy might suit the Treasury, but will put patients, staff, and the very sustainability of NHS dentistry at risk.” Shawn Charlwood, Chair of the BDA’s GDPC said, adding “These new NHS targets are the wrong choice at the wrong time. The country faces a tidal wave of infection. Dentists are understandably nervous about easing restrictions, and patients are already cancelling in droves.”
Read more: New targets for practices in 2022 set: 85% for UDAs 90% for ortho contracts
A survey exploring the mental health of dentists in Wales has found high stress levels among practitioners, as well as difficult working conditions.
Read more: Stress And Financial Worries In Dentistry Abound, With Non-Answers From Government